Signal-lamp fob street-cars and traihs



C. A. WINEBRENNER.

SIGNAL LAMP FOR STREET CARS AND TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1916.

ll. 1 93., 1 U 1 W5 Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- c. A. WINEBRENNER,

SIGNAL LAMP FOR STREET CARS AND TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1916.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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CALVIN A. WINEBRENNER, or. AKRON, OHIO.

SIGNAL-LAMP FOR STREET-CARS AND TRAINS.

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Application filed April 24, 1916.

all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN A. WINE- BRENNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lamps for Street-Cars and Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signal lamps especially adapted for use in the front vestibules of street cars or in the rear of trains or any other place where signals are to be displayed.

The object of the invention is to provide a signal lamp by which difierent colored lights may be used as signals and the same controlled at the will of the user.

A further object is to provide a lamp of the type described wherein a single set of lamps or light-giving instrumentalities may be employed, and by which different signals may be given without changing the lamps and a still further object is'to equip the device so that the user can ascertain by inspecting the rear portion of the device just what signal is given by the device and the color of the signal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which will come within the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings in which similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the different figures, Figure l, is a vertical, central sectional view of the front end of the vestibule of a street car and my improved device in connection therewith, the view being taken approximately in line 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a front elevation of a bracket and a portion of the mechanism employed within the casing. Fig. 4., is a vertical, sectional view taken on line 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5, is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 taken on line 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 1 indicates a casing pref Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Serial No. 93,255.

erably cylindrical in shape and preferably formed of metal. This casing embodies a lateral cylindrical wall 2 and a front wall 3, the latter provided with an opening at through which the raysof light are designed to pass, and also is provided with a plurality of openings through which are we tended holding means, such as screws 5 for securing the device to some supporting medium, such as the frame 6 of a car. The front of a car is usually provided with a companion wall 7 separated from the wall 6 by an intervening space 8 and both of these walls are provided with alined openings registering with the opening 4 in the casing and through the walls 6 and 7 and eX- tended across the space 8 is a tube 9, the front face of which preferably terminates flush with the front face of the wall 7. Arranged at the front end of the tube 9 is an ordinary bulls-eye 10 of transparent or translucent material held in position by a holding ring 11 in the ordinary manner. The rear face of the casing is closed through the medium of a cover 12, pivotally united to the wall 2 by hinges 13 and locked in its closed position by a lock 14, extending through registering openings, in a lug 15 of the cover and a pair of lugs 16 on the lower portion of the lateral wall 2. The cover 12 is provided with a vertically eX- tending central slot 17, and indicia 18, 19, 20, and 21 preferably comprising raised representations of spear points disposed concentrically around said slot. Secured to the lower inner face of the lateral wall 2 is an upwardly extending standard 22 and formed integrally therewith are a pair of horizontal brackets 23 and 24 bearing lamp receivingsockets 25 and 26 respectively. In the socket 25 is a lamp 27 and in the socket 26 is a smaller lamp '28. Current is sup plied tothe lamp 27 by wires 29 from one source, and current is supplied to the lamp 28 by means of wires 30 from an entirely different source.

The front wall 3 and bracket 22 are provided with horizontal alined openings arranged centrally of the casing and constituting bearings for a rotatable shaft 81. Mounted on the shaft 31 and immediately in the rear of the front wall 30 is a disk 32 provided with a hub 33 provided with an aperture in alinement with a similar aper I" ture on the shaft 31 to receive a cotter-pin 3% for locking the disk on the shaft 31. The

' disk 32 is provided with a pluralityof openings 35, surrounding which is a raised beading 36 and forming in connection wlth the openings a rabbeted seat to receive disks 2 37 of some transparent or translucent material such as glass and in ordinary practice these glass disks'will be of different color. Two of the openings are diametrically 7 place by washers 38 secured in position by screws 39., engaging in suitable openings in the bead 36.

- Mounted on the shaft 31 andadjacent to the bracket 22 is a square plate 40 held against independent rotation on the shaft bya cotter-pin 41. Pivotally mounted on the front face of the bracket 22 is an oscillating arm 52 the free end of which is adapted to engage one of the flat side-faces of the plate 40 and to be held in contacting relation therewith through the medium of a coiled spring 42 anchored in an opening 43 in the bracket 22. The plate 40 is provided with three openings 44, 45 and 46 each of which is adapted to be brought into registration with peep hole 51 in the bracket 22. FiXedly secured on the bracket 22 is a collar provided in its-rear face with four notches 48. The rear end of the shaft 31 is provided with; an operating handle 49 preferably in the form of a spear or arrow and pivotally mounted on the handle 49 is a catch 50 adapted to engage in the notches 48 for holding the shaft against unintentional revolution.

The operation 'of the device is as follows: During the ordinary operation of a street car, for instance, the lamp 27 will be lighted by current supplied by the trolley wire but in case of any interruption of this current the light 28 will be lighted from a storage battery in the ordinary manner. The operator of the'car can set the disk 32 in any desired position so that light of desired and characteristic .color will show through the opening 4 when the various disks 37, which are ordinarily colored red,

greenand white are brought into alinement I therewith. In order to rotate the shaft and disk, the operator releases the catch 50 and during the revolution of the disk, the oscillating arm 52 engaging the flat faces of the plate 40-aids in holding and determining the position of the various disks with re spect to the opening 4. When in'the proper position the arm 52 and catch'50 hold the disk against movement, providing a double lock for this purpose. In order to enable the operator to determine from the interior 7 of the car what signal isdisplayed in the front of the car, all that is necessary to do is to look through the peep opening 51 and cover 12, and this opening shows clearly what signal is being displayed. For further convenience the raised indicia 18, 19

and 20 are painted or colored correspondingly to the colors of the disks 37 and the position of the arrow point on the handle 49, will further indicate to the operator what signal is being displayed, that is to say if the point of the handle 49 points toward the indicia mark 21. the green disk will be in alinement with the opening 4, and the peep hole opening 51 in the plate 40 will also be in alinement with the opening 46.

I claim 1. A device of the class described comprising a casing provided in one end wall thereof with an opening, a shaft mounted in said casing, a disk mounted on said shaft provided with a plurality of openings equipped with translucent material adapted to be brought into successive registration with the opening in said casing when said shaft is rotated, a lamp bracket in said casing, a cover for the opposite side of said casing, said cover provided with a slot adapted to be covered by said lamp bracket when cover is in its closed position, a collar on said bracket provided at one end with a plurality hub mounted on said bracket surrounding said'shaft and provided with a plurality of notches, an operating handle on the said shaft, a catch on said handle adapted to engage in the notches in said hub for locking said shaft against movement, a cover for the rear face of said casing provided with a slot to permit the passage therethrough of the handle on said shaft.

3. A device of the class described comprising a casing provided in one end wall thereof with a light diffusing opening and a bearing, a lamp bracket mounted in said casing and provided with bearing and further provided with a peep hole, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a disk mounted on said shaft and provided with a plurality of openings equipped With translucent material arranged to be brought successively into registration with the light opening, a cover for the rear face of said casing provided with a slot in registration with the peep hole opening in said bracket, a polygonal plate on said shaft and provided With openings corresponding in number to the openings in the disks and adapted to be brought successively into registration with the peep hole in said bracket and the slot in said cover, a light in said casing and means for locking said shaft in a predetermined position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a casing provided in one end wall there of with a light diffusing opening and a bearing, a lamp bracket mounted in said casing and provided With a bearing and further provided with a peep hole, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a disk mounted on said shaft and provided with a plurality of openings equipped with translucent material ar ranged to be brought successively into registration With the light opening, a cover for the rear face of said casing provided with a slot in registration With said peep holes, a polygonal plate on said shaft and provided with openings corresponding in number to the openings in the disk and adapted to be brought successively into registration with said peep hole and the slot in said cover, a light in said casing, an oscillating arm adapted to engage the faces of said polygonal plate for holding said shaft in a predetermined position.

5. A device of the class described com prising a casing provided in one end Wall thereof With a light diffusing opening and a bearing, a lamp bracket mounted in said casing and provided With a bearing and further provided With a peep hole, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a disk mounted on said shaft and provided With a plurality of openings equipped with translucent material arranged to be brought successively into registration with the light opening, a cover for the rear face of said casing provided With a slot in registration With said peep hole, a polygonal plate on said shaft provided With openings corresponding in number to the openings in the disk and adapted to be brought into registration With. said peep hole and the slot in said casing, a light in said casing, and interlocking means on said shaft and lamp bracket for locking said shaft in a predetermined position,

6. A device of the class described comprising a casing provided in one end wall there of With a light opening and a bearing, a lamp bracket within said casing provided with a bearing and a peep hole, a cover for the opposite end of said casing provided with slot in registration With said peep hole and bearing, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a disk mounted on said shaft provided with a plurality of openings equipped with translucent material arranged to be brought successively into registration With the side opening in said casing, a plate mounted on said shaft and having a polygonal outer edge and a plurality of transverse openings, the openings adapted to successively register with said peepho-le, a pivoted arm adapted to engage the polygonal faces of said plate, resilient means for holding said arm against said plate, an operating handle on said shaft for rotating it, interengaging means on said handle and bracket for locking said shaft in a predetermined position, said means operating in unison and coincidentally with engagement of said arm with one of the faces of said plate, and a lamp positioned in said casing and in approximate registration with said light opening.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CALVIN A. WINEBRENNER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

